Ain't It a Musical
by musicnotes093
Summary: John Hughes High is hosting its first play of the year! Rocky is more than ecstatic, Cece is more than revolted, and the Hessenheffer twins have their eyes locked on the perfect roles. Through the hustle and bustle of auditions and rehearsals, will breaking a leg be enough, or will hearts need to be broken, too?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** _Ain't It a Musical_

**Rating:** T, because K+ may be stretching it

**Genre:** romance, friendship

**Pairing(s):** Runther, with some Tynka . But if you squint, you'd see multiple het pairings!

**Summary:** John Hughes High is hosting its first play of the year! Rocky is more than ecstatic, Cece is more than revolted, and the Hessenheffer twins have their eyes locked on the perfect roles. Through the hustle and bustle of auditions and rehearsals, will breaking a leg be enough, or will hearts need to be broken, too?

**Notes:** I've had this idea for months now, and after reading an excerpt from a future chapter I wrote a while back, I'm convinced I've gotta write. :D I hope y'all will enjoy! This is my first SIU fic, so please don't stone me when I get things wrong! Just point it out. That would be lovely.

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_Chapter One_

The bell for lunch triggered several classroom doors to open, releasing a number of famished and oddly excited students. The subtle commotion that it created was a sharp contrast from the earlier part of that Monday morning, when everyone dragged their feet towards their class and the only motivating factor in going on was the scent—and the taste—of freshly made coffee brewed at the donut shop a block away from the bus stop. Some people made a beeline for the cafeteria, attending to the rather stern call of their stomachs. Meanwhile, a considerable number of others, mostly freshmen and sophomore girls, congregated around the bulletin board, their eyes fixated on the alternating red and white sheets stapled on it.

A big grin lit up Rocky's face when she saw the notice. She tugged at Cece's denim jacket excitedly. "Oh, look, Cece," she squealed. "They have the sign-up sheets up already!"

Cece glanced back forlornly at the small vying crowd, where she spotted hands with pens jutting out from unseen bodies. "I'd love to. Can't," she said simply.

"Why not?" Rocky frowned.

Cece sighed. "Apparently, I've got a couple of pending detentions," she explained. "Mr. Higgins thought it would be a good idea if I work it all off by helping backstage for the play."

The grin on Rocky's lips weakened. "Oh."

Cece saw her reaction. She placed a hand on her friend's arm. "It doesn't mean you shouldn't sign up, though!" she smiled. "I'd still be there with you."

Rocky appeared uncertain.

Cece scoffed. She took hold of her friend's wrist then pulled her towards the less populated board. "It's the first play of the year, and it's the first time since we got here that you don't have to be an upperclassman to audition. And it's _High School Musical_, for crying out loud!" she said. Rocky was still unconvinced. She sighed. "Don't tell me it's stage fright. We've been at Shake It Up, Chicago! long enough."

"Dancing is dancing," Rocky reasoned. "Singing is singing. If I croak, I'd be made fun of."

"You won't croak," Cece said. "I've heard you sing along to songs on your iPod when you're doing homework. Trust me. There's nothing you should worry about." She frowned when a though hit her. She crossed her arms. "And why do you need me anyways?"

"Well, I was thinking we could audition as a duo," Rocky muttered.

The wrinkles on Cece's features deepened. "I don't think we could get in as Troy and Gabriella that way, Rocky," she said.

Rocky chuckled as she waved off the idea. "No, no, no," she said. "I just meant, you know, maybe we could land one of the female leads. Maybe Taylor and Gabriella? It _is_ possible."

"Maybe," Cece agreed. "If I wasn't banished backstage, we could have." She glanced back at the diminishing number of girls, calculating the force she'd have to exert on getting both her and Rocky through while she maintained the little interest building up in her friend. It was then she caught sight of Ty heading towards them. "Here's an idea! Why don't you and Ty audition together? As Ryan and Sharpay?"

"Well…"

"Negative," Ty said. "Sorry, sis, but you have to find another partner."

"What?" Cece asked. "Why?"

Ty hitched a shoulder. "Just not my thing," he said. "Now, if it's _Camp Rock_, I may change my mind."

"What are you doing here, then?" Rocky asked, unsure whether she was offended or relieved.

"I'm looking for Deuce," Ty said, scanning the area. "He promised to give me two tickets for the Lady Antebellum concert."

Rocky raised an eyebrow. "You don't like country music, Ty," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but Sabrina Holbrook does," Ty smiled widely.

"Something's wrong with you," Rocky commented.

Ty nodded, as if to bow. "Thank you."

Cece grinned at the siblings' small banter. "Check the music room," she said. "He mentioned something about meeting Mr. Arnold there when he texted me earlier."

"Thanks, Cece," Ty nodded at her. He smiled at his sister before vanishing at the hallway ahead.

Rocky hoped that the interruption caused Cece to forget about their last discussion. She was not particularly fond of the idea of having to go through all of it alone. However, the convincing look that her friend darted towards her told her that she may have to compromise. "What if I just work backstage with you?" she asked.

"Don't," Cece responded. "You may never get another chance like this again, Rocky. Don't throw it all out of the window because we can't go together. Plus, you don't know! You might just land yourself a cute, senior version of Troy Bolton." She nudged her twice while wiggling her brows.

Rocky pondered over it. An excited smile stretched across her lips after coming to a conclusion. "Okay," she said. She headed towards the board while rummaging through her backpack for a pen.

Looking up, her eyes were assaulted by identical, neon-colored stripe hoodies worn by a girl that was almost her height and a boy that seemed to loom over her.

"Ugh," Cece voiced her disgust while she eyed the twins. "Did you two roll over highlighters this morning?"

Tinka, after jotting down her name on the sign-up sheet, passed the pen to her brother then scanned the redhead from head to toe and back. She took in her dominantly green ensemble before asking, "Don't you have some beat-up rainbow to guard?"

"I'm standing right next to you, aren't I?" Cece retaliated with a sardonic smile.

Tinka made no reply but continued sizing her up.

Rocky's attention, on the other hand, was spent on a curiosity. "You guys are going to audition?"

"Yes," Gunther said. "We heard about the announcement to the public this morning, and Tinka and I thought we should try out. It's been a long time since we starred in a play."

"You've been on one?" Rocky asked.

"Oh, yes," Tinka beamed. "Gunther and I were six when we played Billy the Goat and Barbie the Goat."

"Let me guess," Cece chimed in. "It was a play about goats."

"No," Gunther shook his head, his brows lightly knitted. "It was actually about two sheep—"

"Oh."

"—that were actually goats," Gunther finished.

"Figures," Cece muttered sideways in annoyance.

Rocky was a bit bewildered, but having encountered the two for years made her daze-resistant from strange conversations. "Well, do you two have in mind what roles you want?" she asked instead.

"We don't," Tinka answered. She added, with a flourish of her hand, "We haven't seen this _Musical High School._"

"What? What kind of people hasn't seen High School Musical?" Rocky blurted out in shock. The answer stared back at her as soon as the question was asked. Her expression straightened. "Oh."

"We heard from someone in math class about the twins in the play," Gunther said. "Tinka and I think we are perfect for the role."

Cece narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, I don't doubt that," she said.

Rocky uncapped the pen on her hand. Gunther and Tinka may not be the best people she could draw encouragement from during auditions, but they were familiar and would have to do. She had seen them get laughed at when they performed. If something goes wrong during her turn, at least she could share the sting of the wound with them.

Before she could come closer to the board, she, as well as Cece and Gunther and Tinka, were shoved away by cheerleaders. "Move," they ordered.

Cece was livid, Tinka was offended, while Gunther was just overall curious. Rocky wondered why the sudden hostility emerged, and the response materialized in the form of Randy and Candy. The fake smiles on their faces made her blood boil, especially the one on the latter.

The four watched as the duo signed their names, overtaking the little spaces that were left on the sheet. When they finished, they looked at the people around them. Candy's eyes were particularly trained on Rocky while she put on a phony apologetic expression. "You weren't planning on putting your name in, were you?" she asked.

"Actually, I was—"

"Because we didn't want to waste the space," Randy continued.

"What do you think you two are doing right now?" Cece asked.

"Very funny, Cecelia," Randy said. Then, he patted her on the head. "But that's not what we meant."

Cece gritted her teeth and swatted his hand away.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you two will be picked," Rocky nodded, posing a similarly fake smile. "They do need backup dancers."

"Great! Then there's a place for you after all," Candy clapped her hands together. "See, me and Randy already have the leads in the bag. We heard that the person that would be in charge loves theatrics, and let's face it," she tilted her head towards her partner with a smile. "Me and Randy have it."

Randy conceded with a nod.

Candy smugly placed a hand on her hip. "So, uh, unless you want to be my understudy, I'd suggest you save your ink for something else important, Rocky," she said. Then, she led the way towards the cafeteria, Randy and the two other cheerleaders in tow.

Rocky's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Now I can see why you two dislike them very much," Tinka told her. She looked back at Gunther, whose blank expression hid his annoyance well, before they started to saunter to the cafeteria.

Cece turned towards Rocky. "You won't let them get to you about auditioning, will you?" she asked.

"Not in a million years," Rocky answered sternly before writing her name on the minute space left on the sheet.

"That's my girl," Cece grinned proudly, briefly hugging her. "Oh! Before we go, I just need to get something from my locker."

Rocky nodded. "I'll wait for you here."

"Okay." Cece turned around and walked away.

Rocky stared at the notice in front of her, particularly at Candy's name sprawled across a good part of the paper. Just the swirls and curves of her handwriting made her upset. This competition between them had been going on for years. Usually, she wouldn't consider herself as overly concerned in winning, but she guessed her perception on this matter differed when it came to the cheerleader. Her foul and mocking attitude had permanently soured her view of her. She doubted it would ever change.

Yet, to be completely honest with herself, she didn't answer Cece with the entire truth. She wouldn't let her opponent trample her, yes, but she was still afraid. Her success rate always dwindled when she competes against the girl. She shouldn't, but she thought that the reason why she never won over anything was because Candy's more popular, and she was just a nobody.

And who would pay to see a nobody on stage?

_High School Musical_, the first red paper on the top left corner read. At the bottom of the big and bold letters continued, _Do you have what it takes to be a Wild Cat? Sign-up now for a chance to be a part of John Hughes High's biggest production yet! Auditions will be held Friday, September 14, 3:30 PM at the Bell Auditorium. Be sure to bring the music sheet to your song for the piano accompanist. Take note that songs from the play are not allowed as audition pieces. Also, have a pair of comfortable shoes ready for the dance portion of the try-outs. _

_There will be an information meeting with Mr. Arnold at the Music Room this Wednesday, August 29, 3:00 PM for any questions. (Anyone interested in assisting backstage can sign-up at that time.) _

_Be there!_

Rocky could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Just the thought of singing in front of people already frightened her. What if she humiliates herself? What if she was rejected? Worse, what if she did become Candy's understudy?

Her eyes anxiously scanned the endless amount of names until she reached the last five.

_Tinka Hessenheffer_

_Gunther Hessenheffer_

_Candy Hodges_

_Randy Moore_

_Rocky Blue_

She sighed exasperatedly. What had she gotten herself into?

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_**to be continued. . .**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to dessynaynay22, GlitterGirl123, sunshannieshipperheart, and XxPurpleCupcakesxX for your reviews!**

**Sorry for the long wait for the update. I forgot to mention that I've written a few chapters already, and I update as I finish another one. So it'll take some time, and I ask for your patience! :)**

**Enjoy this second chapter!**

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_Chapter Two_

Rocky snuggled closer to her corner at the window, shifting her folded legs to give it some relief before starting a new round of math problems for homework. Slowly but surely, she operated on the equation to find the missing number. As she did, she hummed along to the song playing on her iPod for the eighth time that afternoon. Memory had her mumbling the lyrics without taking much attention from her other task.

After two nights of decision making, she opted to brave the try outs. She pored over what her audition song would be for quite some time. Cece made several suggestions, even Ty and Deuce did. Yet, none of those appealed to her. She thought that going through the classic musicals route would be a good idea, but after discovering that she would have to be an alto soprano to belt out most of those tunes, she turned towards other options. She did some research for a song that would be suitable for her and would be powerful enough to convince their seemingly mysterious directress to pick her for the lead.

Needless to say, it had been a rather discouraging, irritating, and curious experience.

Finally, after a week of looking, she found a song from a movie that her mother shouldn't find out she saw. She had been excited about it. She borrowed the music book from the library to get the sheets required. She bought the track, and she listened to and practiced with it endlessly.

Now, she had it at heart.

All she would have to combat would be the inevitable nervousness that accompanied auditions.

"Hey, Rocky!"

If she really wanted to be in the production, she would have to fight for it. This she knew. She already had a preview of how difficult it could be. Her mother was a little hesitant when she told her about it. She said she was unsure whether another distraction from school would be a good idea for her daughter. _I don't know, baby girl,_ her voice rang in her head. _Between that and the show, will you even have enough time for school? For yourself?_

"Rocky."

She did give it a serious thought. Participants before had mentioned how long and exhausting rehearsals could be. Then again, they also said that there was some free time when they could do homework and projects. Plus, Shake It Up never required much of their time, knowing that they were still at school. It may even be lesser time now, since the show would have a full month dedicated to veteran dancers.

Her left ear bud was suddenly pulled out from her ear. She swiftly turned her head then saw Cece standing there. "Oh. Sorry, Cece," she said, smiling. "How long had you been there?"

"Long enough," Cece said. She frowned at the ear bud. "What are you listening to anyways?" she asked before lifting it up to her ear.

"No!" she snatched it away, causing Cece's jaw to drop in protest. She turned off her music player before ensconcing the set at the nook of the window. "No, you can't listen to it."

Cece was mystified at first. Then, a sly grin gradually stretched across her lips. "That was your piece, wasn't it?" she asked knowingly.

Rocky answered by turning back to her math textbook.

Cece groaned. She gruffly hopped onto the space left in the window corner to sit by her friend. "Okay. Keeping it secret for a day is cute. Keeping it secret for five days is very annoying," she said.

Again, she said nothing.

Cece leaned her head back in despair. "Rocky!" she whined.

"How was the training for the other assistants?" Rocky asked instead.

Cece sighed. "Okay, I guess," she replied lackadaisically. "I had two freshmen guys that were too distracted to my liking. Little brats kept interrupting me when I'm speaking. The girls were easy to teach. Deuce only had two people to supervise at the sounds, and they were cooperative."

Rocky nodded.

Cece looked back at her. Then, she clucked her tongue. "You're avoiding my question," she pointed out.

Rocky smiled secretively. "You just have to wait two more days," she shrugged. "You'll find it out soon."

"Why don't you want to tell me now?"

"It's a surprise."

A pensive expression dawned on Cece's feature. "Does Ty know what it is?" she asked more eagerly than what she intended.

Rocky lifted her eyes up at her. She chuckled when she saw the glint of scheming in her. "No. And it's not gonna happen," she said. Cece visibly deflated. "Just trust me on this."

"Fine," Cece stood up. She wagged a finger towards Rocky. "But don't come crying to me when you realize that you've messed up everything and should have asked for my advice."

Rocky just smiled.

Hopefully, Cece would be wrong about her messing up and crying to her. She couldn't help but get nervous every single time she envisioned herself on stage, looking out to a small crowd where Candy would be scrutinizing her every move. She hadn't really practiced her song in front of others. Well, maybe beside Mandie, the janitress at Shake It Up studio, and Ludovic, Flynn's new pet hamster.

That was good enough, wasn't it?

In a moment of doubt, she opened her mouth to confess her audition piece and ask her friend's opinion about it. However, waiting for her to finish talking about how Randy and Candy had been driving her and Deuce to the brink of sanity by commanding them what to do during their audition gave her enough time to rethink her decision and choose otherwise.

Perhaps there really was nothing she could do but wish for the best and wing it.

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_**to be continued. . .**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Special thanks to sunshannieshipperheart, GlitterGirl123, and XxPurpleCupcakesxX for leaving reviews! ;) Thanks to those who favorited and followed, too!**

**This chapter contains other original works (lyrics of a song, movie), and just to play safe I'll point y'all to my profile page for the disclaimer. :D**

**Please enjoy!**

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_Chapter Three_

The auditorium was filled with excited chatters of the hopefuls. Whereas it elated most participants, Rocky felt more nervous than ever. Unknowingly, she sank lower in her seat, nibbling on her fingernails while she failed miserably to focus on practicing her audition piece in her head. Her concentration had to contend with the overwhelming desire to flee, especially with worst case scenarios popping up sporadically in her head.

She checked her watch. 3:29 PM. Her heart banged against her chest. A minute. She could just leave this all behind – she had time. That way, there would be no more anxiety, no more pressure, no more possibility of getting humiliated in front of a good third of John Hughes High's student population.

But glancing up, she saw Cece grinning at her almost in a maniacal fashion. Her friend had been waiting to see her get on stage and perform. She made it clear that she had all her backing. Plus, Deuce had already come over earlier to wish her the best, coupling it with an encouraging smile. Ty checked up on her multiple times to assure she wouldn't crack under the pressure. Gunther and Tynka even bothered to bother her with their usual overconfidence, though she could see from the subtle way Tynka's hand shook and Gunther's shiftiness that they were nervous, too.

It would be unfair to quit now and waste their support, wouldn't it?

The echo of heels clacking slowly but firmly against the stage floor quieted the commotion to a lower volume. By the time it stopped, everybody had fallen dead silent.

The woman perched above the shoes commanded and demanded attention with her authoritative glare. She was on the thin side, with her dark brown flared hair completing her look. She was aged somewhere between upper thirties to lower forties. She may still be young, but her stern stance inevitably garnered the respect she wanted.

However, she didn't seem to be a nonsensical and pushy woman.

A sick feeling loomed inside Rocky's stomach.

"Afternoon," the woman said.

"Good afternoon," Rocky mumbled together with a numbered few who responded.

"I'm the director of this year's play," she said, a shadow of a smile passing through her lips. "I'm Kathy Perry."

A loud laugh came from behind a prop locker, making it harder for the others who were trying to smother chuckles and grins.

Upon closer look, a few could see Cece's locks bouncing lightly behind a prop locker. "You said your name was Kathy Perry," she said after peeking out. "You're just one letter over. You could have been Katy Perry! Get it?" She laughed more, leaving the play's directress less than amused and others with much weakened resistance. "Oh, come on! You guys have to think it's funny!" She looked over the crowd. Her grin grew wider when she saw Rocky. "Hey, Rocky! Rocky! You think it's funny, right?"

Rocky shook her head, her eyes wide with anxiety. She waved a hand, hoping Cece would understand her motion to stop.

Kathy glanced at Rocky then looked at Cece. "Thank you for pointing that out, Miss Jones," she said with a small, hollow smile. She quirked an eyebrow. "I'm sure that joke would keep you upbeat for the increased time you'll spend here with me working on props, yes?"

Cece's grin died down gradually and soon she retreated back to her spot behind the prop.

"As I was saying," Kathy continued, "I will be directing this year's play. I am a close friend of Mrs. Hicks, who was supposed to be in-charge but, as all of you may already know, she's off on maternal leave. I may be considered an outsider—" she pointedly looked at Mr. Arnold briefly, "but I am in no way inexperienced in theater and everything concerning it. I have directed seven plays—four in universities, two in community theaters, and one in an elementary school. But don't be fooled. I don't necessarily favor favorites."

She smiled mysteriously at the sea of hopefuls. "As was stated on the sign-up sheets, you need a music sheet for our accompanist, Miss Cassandra Poe," she turned halfway to the left then tipped her hand towards the petite brunette sporting a newsboy cap.

The girl smiled in return.

"You also need shoes for the dance auditions," Kathy continued. "If you have neither of those, especially the music sheets, you may leave the auditorium at this minute."

Looks were exchanged among the group, watching to see who would be taking the walk of shame. Others appeared uncertain, though a few, like Randy and Candy, eyed people smugly with smirks on their faces.

"Rather than get your name announced and have more eyes on you," Kathy added.

After a few grumbles, a few students stood up. They sluggishly piled out of the auditorium. Soon, only a small cluster was left. Twenty nine, if Rocky counted right.

"Excellent," Kathy pressed her hands together, beaming weakly at the group. "Now, before we begin, I want to state what behavior I expect from everyone. All of you are here to try out for certain roles, emphasis on the word _try_. I don't want anyone making fun of whoever's on stage. I so much see a grin on your face, I will kick you out of my auditions in a heartbeat. Had I made myself clear?"

"Yes," Rocky mumbled along with the others. Some just nodded or did both.

"Good," Kathy said. "Because even if you don't get a lead role, I may ask you to be in the chorus or with the backup dancers. We need a lot of people for the ensemble, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try hard. After all, it would be nice to have the spotlight for three nights, right?" She winked at the crowd, and it elicited some chuckles. "Now that that's over with, let's begin, shall we?"

The noise of papers sliding against various materials clouded the auditorium. There were also throats being cleared, chatters continued quietly, and songs hummed lowly. The steady clap of Kathy's heels against the floor rose above everything else, easily making itself her trademark.

Those did nothing but create a plummeting feeling in Rocky's stomach. Her heart was on overdrive, and her imagination for the worst was unstoppable. At that moment, the words in her head were pretty accurate on how she might feel when she gets on stage: _I'm gonna die_.

**.**

The small crowd applauded as the person on the stage finished his audition, but Rocky was deaf to this. All she could hear—and listen to—was the deep breaths she was taking. Every second that passed by drowned her in worry more. Going second to the last may have seemed great earlier, but not anymore.

The preceding auditions did little to allay her nerves. The first audition, Fiora Now's rendition of "Apologize," gave her some encouragement. The girl's as bashful as she, yet she finished her song beautifully. The next ones were good, too, but halfway through, with Jordan Hill's "At Last," followed by an array of great auditions, her confidence began to vanish. Not only that, but when Gunther and Tinka performed their audition piece, she could see Randy, Candy, and the little herd they formed, snickering behind their music sheets.

The twins shrugged it off, happy with their song, and walked out from the stage.

She hated to admit it, but she felt a smidge of jealousy of their attitude in this auditions.

"Thank you, Mr. Stephen Croft," Kathy smiled down from her seat.

The sandy-haired boy smiled back before jogging off to the steps on his right. Rocky looked up just in time to catch him passing by her, flashing a charming grin that stopped the hands of time and stilled the butterflies in her stomach. This intrigued her, causing her to lose focus on the world around her.

Stephen used to be in Ty's chemistry class last year, when they were juniors. Her brother had mentioned that the boy was intelligent and talented. He had also said that he could be narcissistic, but she didn't care much about that detail as much as she did about his heartthrob looks.

"Miss…Rocky Blue. You're up."

With his fiery blue eyes and winning smile, she wouldn't be surprised if he was picked to be Troy. This led her to wonder what it would feel like to be Gabriella—_his_ Gabriella.

"Miss Blue."

A smile crept up to her face as she gazed at the trail he took outwards of the auditorium.

"Anytime now, Miss Blue."

Kathy's louder call pulled her out of her thoughts. She marched up the stage, a little confused. The look on her face elicited some quiet chuckles, and this revived the terror within her.

Kathy glared at the students behind her, effectively quieting them, before turning back to the girl. "What grade, Miss Blue, and what piece," she cued, clicking her pen to scribble a few notes on her clipboard.

"Um," Rocky started nervously, "Tenth grade. Sophomore. My piece is, uh, right here." She gave the music sheet over to the pianist with shaky hands. Aware of the tremor running down her fingers, she began holding on to the seams of her jacket. She faced the crowd but was unable to look at them directly. "It's, uh…"

"It's better to get it over with than prolong it," Kathy advised.

"Right," Rocky agreed with a sheepish grin. She swallowed a mouthful of air, and then continued. "I'm singing Kirsten Dunst's 'Dream of Me' today. I hope you like it." She nodded at the accompanist then attempted to focus on what she had practiced tens of times.

She opened her mouth as the music began to play, but no words came out. Panic stricken, she pursed her lips. Besides the keys on the piano, no sound was coming to her ears. She was sure that people were already laughing around her, so she looked up, intent on pleading them to stop.

Yet, all she came to find was their attention increased on her.

Overwhelmed by the unruly emotion and pressure, she sought for the exit door to the left of the stage.

Cece, with Deuce standing beside her, made a sweeping motion with her hands, urging her to stay where she was and to sing her piece.

Rocky bit her lip. There was no use trying to escape. So, she just closed her eyes, and she began to sing. _"Let me sleep. For when I sleep, I dream that you are here…"_

Ease overcame her when she complied more with the song. Her mind even began drifting, to the movie the tune was from, to her many practice sessions, to Cece's bothering, to Ty's words of encouragement, to Deuce's supportive grin—and to Stephen's glance towards her direction.

_"So let the moon shine softly on the boy I long to see. And maybe when he dreams," _she finished, beaming softly at the crowd, _"he'll dream of me."_

Through the bright lights, she caught a glimpse of Gunther, shrugging before clapping his hands along with the other people.

"Thank you, Miss Blue," Kathy contentedly told her. She jotted a curt note on the paper.

Rocky nodded. She left briskly for her seat, wanting to retrieve her belongings to get ready for the next part of the audition. Conceal she may, but she could not stop from grinning, intoxicated with how well it all turned out. Finally free from the feeling of dread, she adopted a much optimistic view on her chances in the play.

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_**to be continued . . .**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Heya! Again, many thanks to sunshannieshipperheart and GlitterGirl123! I will send you guys a PM soon, because you guys always makes me feel good about this little story of mine (and you guys are awesome)! *grins* **

**Thanks to those who favorited and followed, too! I hope you'd consider leaving me a quick review to let me know what you think of the story. **

**It's coming on sluggishly, I know, but just like how roller coasters start kinda bumpy and slow then becomes a wild ride after the coaster drops, that's how we'll be proceeding. I've got plans, and I hope you guys would enjoy them. . . *laughs maniacally***

**Anyways, here's Chapter Four!**

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_Chapter Four_

"So there you have it! A step by step tutorial of Drew Seeley and Adam Hicks' 'Dance for Life,' voted on by all of you at home," Gary announced, his commercial grin stretched across his lips. "Join us next week for a special, month-long celebration featuring the past Shake It Up alums that you know and love. Until then, I'm Gary Wilde and this…is Shake It Up, Chicago!"

A buzzer went off shortly after, granting ease to both cast and crew.

Cece moved her jaws to loosen up her cheeks that tightened from grinning, while Rocky placed her restless hands on her hips. "What a workday," Cece chimed as they headed to their chairs.

"Yeah. If I had known the spotlight dance would be the tutorial, I wouldn't have volunteered," Rocky languidly agreed.

"Hm. Tell me about it," Cece groaned.

Rocky leaned on her chair, and for the first time that evening she felt every drop of exhaustion she had weigh down on her. How she looked forward to coming home and getting in her bed. She had been a little restless this weekend. Not only was the show overworking the backups (and thus her nerves), the audition had rendered her overly anxious, too. She and Cece eagerly waited for this day to see the results, only to find a signed note from Kathy telling them to check online later on for the results.

She had been consulting the school's website every moment she could and quite honestly, she had done so too frequently that she was starting to see stars whenever she blinked.

"I hate Mondays," Rocky huffed under her breath.

Cece half turned. "Glad you're aboard," she said unenergetically, her eyebrows raised.

Gary's loud clapping nulled some of their drowsiness. "Gather around, kiddos! Gather around," he called to the back-up dancers still present. He proceeded towards the side of the stage where Rocky and Cece were situated, a small herd of young adults following his lead. "Alright. So you know by now that we're having a month-long celebration for our alumni…"

The listeners mumbled a vague agreement to his statement.

The reaction elicited a frown from the host. "Guys. Please. Don't get too excited," he sardonically commented before shaking his head. "Anyways, since we're having enough dancers on the floor and there's enough hype for this, the higher-ups are letting you guys be off for the entire month."

A chorus of delighted groans and cheers bubbled up from the crowd. Few were quiet, expecting a catch in this all of a sudden break from work. Few including Rocky, who worried about the common fact that good news were often followed by bad news.

"Thank goodness," Cece exclaimed.

"Yeah. Not so fast," Gary grinned slyly. "A few of you will actually have to come in and still work."

"Work? I thought you said there will be enough dancers covering the floor?" Tinka asked.

"Yes. _But_, the alums will be having a contest to see which dancers can mentor the best junior dancer or _dancers_. Most of the people coming back are pretty known for what they did here. Some of these people have gone on to professional dancing. They talked to the producers, and they've agreed on this contest," Gary explained.

Cece visibly deflated. "So, in short, some of us will be their gerbils for the month."

Gary shrugged. "I guess. It's a matter of perception," he said.

Rocky's eyebrows creased as she thought of what Gary had mentioned before. "Wait. You said some of them are professional dancers," she spoke. "Like, who?"

"Uh, you may be familiar with Felix Banks—"

"Felix Banks?" Cece echoed with incredulity. "You meant The Flight Machines' Felix Banks?"

Gary nodded. "Yeah," he answered, and this sparked an excitement seldom seen from the teenage dancers.

"Nice!"

"His team's mentoring a junior dance crew," Gary continued. "Speaking of…" Then, he slowly turned around, searching particular faces. "On it, on it, on it, on it and red head? On it."

Cece squealed. "Yay! It's going to be so cool!" she said. "And my name is Cece."

Gary nodded a little too indifferently. He smiled slightingly. "Oh, that's nice," he said.

Cece narrowed her eyes and instead chose to ignore his lackadaisical reaction.

Tinka crossed her arms. "I don't get what is so exciting about being taught to dance by a pilot," she commented.

"The Flight Machines is a dance crew, Tinka," Rocky corrected her.

"Oh." Tinka pursed her lips in deep thought. "Well, why do I have to be in a group with them? Why can't Gunther and I be together?"

"Because we put your names in a hat, and I drew your name for the team, blondie."

Tinka's frown deepened, not so much because of his tone but the moniker given to her. Gunther noticed his sister's reaction and quickly mumbled something towards her. Soon after, she lightened up.

Rocky found herself smiling at this.

"You guys will meet with your mentors next Friday, four thirty," Gary informed them. "The big bosses will be coming to see how it'll go, so be on your best behavior. We don't want them pulling the plug now, do we?"

The group shook their head.

"Besides that team of five," Gary continued, "there will be a trio, a pair, and two solo acts. You guys will find out who's in which next Friday. De la Rosa, Prescott, Campbell, Parker, Blue, Hessenheffer boy and Young—got that?"

Rocky nodded along with the others with the exception of Gunther, who seemed a little aloof from the head host.

"Alright. See you twelve on Friday, see the rest of you in a month or so." With that, he left. The others also departed soon after.

Cece turned towards the much smaller group, eyes wide and lips in an amused smirk. "Well," she breathed out. "Who got Gary's panty in a bunch?"

Rocky shrugged. "Maybe his tanning bed's not working well again. He does look a little pastier than usual," she mumbled. She climbed to her chair then eased back onto it, blowing out a tense breath. She had half a mind not to finish her Home Economics homework. The idea of burying herself under the blankets tonight sounded delightful enough to outweigh the anxiety of having to hurry in her paperwork tomorrow.

_One train ride away, Rocky,_ she thought hopefully. _One train ride away._

A loud, sharp gasp from Tinka drew her—and Cece's—attention. "Yes!" the blonde exclaimed happily as she pressed her phone closer to her ear. "Yes! Oh, I am glad! Thank you, Papa. Yes. I will see you in the later. Ich liebe dich, Papa. Bye."

"What is it, Tinka?" Gunther inquired of his sister.

Tinka lifted her eyes up at him, according it with a wide, triumphant grin. "Papa said he checked the interconnected net for us, because he knew we couldn't wait…" She grasped his arm with a severity of excitement. "We got the parts!"

Tinka laughed a child's laugh, while Gunther's features gave way to a similar enthusiasm. Cece quickly pulled out her phone to access the school's website. Rocky, on the other hand, was too inundated with the rapid beating of her heart to pay much attention to other things happening outside the siblings' conversation.

Tinka placed her hands on her hips, in a posture similar only to the school play's iconic blonde antagonist. "I am Sharpay," she announced.

Gunther responded with a two-step tap dance. "And I am Ryan."

"And we are—Um…"

"Rocky."

Rocky turned around and found Cece with a foreboding expression shadowing her face. The auburn-haired dancer offered her the phone, seemingly afraid. Rocky's heart stilled before she braved the results. "No turning back?" she asked her best friend. She lingered only shortly for her reply. She fixed her eyes on the screen, reading the cast list carefully while scrolling up.

_Ryan Evans – Ian Krauss_

_Sharpay Evans – Rosey Grammar_

_Gabriella Montez – Fiora Now_

_Troy Bolton – Randy Moore_

_Understudies._

_Jason Cross – Robert Guidecelli_

_Zeke Baylor – Jordan Sawyer_

_Martha Cox – Juliette Estrangelo_

_Kelsi Nielsen – Cassandra Poe_

_Taylor McKessie – Jordan Hill_

_Chad Danforth – Tyler Reese_

_Ryan Evans – Gunther Hessenheffer_

_Sharpay Evans – Tinka Hessenheffer_

Rocky looked up at Cece when she read the next name in the list of major characters, her heart dead cold in her chest.

* * *

_**to be continued. . . **_


	5. Chapter 5

**I know! I'm so sorry that I posted so late! :( I wanted to post after I finish the chapter I was working on, but I never did get to finish it. However, I didn't think that should translate into a long postponement(?) of the next chapter. Cliffhangers' resolutions are wearisome to wait for.**

**Thanks to GlitterGirl123, PurpleCupcakes, sunshannieshipperheart, and Mermaid Lover for your reviews! You guys are an awesome bunch!**

**Enjoy the fifth chapter!**

* * *

_Chapter Five_

It was ridiculous, she knew, and maybe a little inane, but she was too resolute and content with the idea that she did not even care about those negatives. It was still uncomfortable, although. Not so much when she promenaded into the hallways earlier that Wednesday morning. She had gotten some stares and a few looks that qualified as 'check-out' gazes from some boys. There were some freshmen girls that came up to her with ecstatic grins, telling her she looked almost exactly like the character she had won over at auditions.

These almost compensated for Cece's horrified glances, Ty's disheartening jokes, and Deuce's strange reaction of running away whenever she asked if she looked like an idiot. _Almost._

However, after contemplating about her decision all day before the rehearsal, she decided to stick to her choice.

She ran her fingers through the tresses of her tropical baby blue dress before rearranging the yellow belt that came around her upper waist—a precise replica of Gabriella's summer clothes in the second movie. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door to the auditorium.

The tune of _Start of Something New_ emanated from the piano and floated about in the wide air. Several production assistants (including Cece and Deuce) roved around at the back of the stage while either painting or putting together several of the props. A little farther up, right under the spotlight, the cast assembled in a semi-circle. A few of them were chattering idly, a number were doing homework, while two or three were engrossed with their phones.

Kathy was nowhere to be seen.

Rocky scanned the herd of teenagers for the directress, stopping short of the stairs to the stage, only to be stunned by the sight of two particular people. "Unbelievable," she muttered to herself as she stared at the Hessenheffer twins, both fully dressed as Sharpay and Ryan. "Just…I'm a dork. I'm officially a dork."

"So," a voice came from behind her, causing her to spin around quickly in surprise, "all I know about you is that you're a dork, and you watch movies that good girls are not supposed to be watching."

She was speechless.

The sandy-haired boy chuckled. The way his blue eyes sparkled took her breath away. "Because Kirstin Dunst sang your song in an, uh, _uncivilized_ teenage movie," he added carefully.

Her mouth hung agape, which she thought could probably explain why her mouth was so dry. "Don't tell my mom," she blurted out the plea before she could ponder over her words. She mentally kicked herself. _Of all the words, Raquel Blue,_ she mentally hissed.

"I'm no snitch. Don't worry," he reassured her with a winning laugh.

Her heart picked up pace, her nerves in a wreck. "Good," she eased back into the conversation with a simple grin that came out lopsided. "Because she would totally ground me."

The boy nodded. "Yeah," he agreed, but not full heartedly. "I can see." He looked at her from head to toe and back, as if examining her. It touched Rocky ill, but she dismissed it as paranoia. "Well, I'll be completely honest," he continued. "I do know more about you. Rocky Blue, right? Sophomore?"

Rocky nodded after a giggle. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Auditions. You kinda stuttered the information," he said pragmatically.

An embarrassed laugh bubbled from her. "Oh. Right," she said.

"Ty's also mentioned you before," he continued. "We were lab partners once in Chemistry class. Has he ever mentioned that? I helped him a lot in that one project. Got an easy A, but don't tell him I said that." He winked at her playfully.

She chuckled, her mind on override. "I won't," she assured him. "Stephen. Your secret's safe with me."

"Good." He smiled. Just before an awkward silence settled in between them, he said, "I guess, since I'm the lead role and you got the other, we should be heading to the inner circle."

"The inner circle?" she asked with a glued smile on her lips and wrinkled brows.

"The inner circle," he repeated. "Perry had us form this lame circle for an exercise she wanted us to do. We were about to start without you, but a sophomore came, complaining about her not being admitted into the cast. Good timing for you, too, since Perry's a little unhappy you weren't here."

"But I'm still five minutes early," she protested.

"Directors are unpredictable, young Jedi," the boy told her with a grin.

She laughed.

"A quarter of an hour early would suit you best. May the force be with you."

Rocky rolled her eyes. "Fifteen minutes. Got it," she chortled.

The senior gave her one last smile before departing. She watched him settle down on his seat, captivated by his presence and the memory of how his blue eyes sparkled under the stage lights. The given fantasy of a senior—a popular one at that—falling in love with her as the play goes along and of that kiss between their characters in that one particular scene caused her cheeks to turn into a deep hue of rose.

Noticing how deep she was gazing at the blue-eyed boy, she averted her eyes and proceeded instead towards the group. She aimed to sit away from him, as she had the tendency to stutter insensibly and blush terribly when next to someone she liked. After a quick search, she found an empty spot between Tinka and Cassandra.

"Anyone sitting here?" she asked the two.

Tinka glanced at her then carried on with her conversation with Gunther. Cassandra, on the other hand, lifted her eyes up from her music sheets and grinned amiably. "No, you can sit here," she said.

"Thanks," Rocky breathed out gratefully as she settled down, placing her backpack on the ground.

Cassandra held out a hand to her. "I'm Cassandra," she introduced herself, "but I prefer being called Cassy."

"Rocky." She shook her hand. "Kelsi Nielsen, right?"

She nodded. "Yes!" she replied cheerfully. Then, less enthusiastically she added, "But, only because Miss Perry wanted a good piano player to have the role. I was the only one to audition, but I thought it was for the orchestra." She chuckled. "No wonder there were only four of us that day."

Rocky laughed. "At least you didn't have to deal with singing in front of the crowd," she empathized. "I had to be called twice because I was too nervous."

"Oh. I wouldn't worry much about that," Cassandra assured her. Then, a knowing smile crept across her lips. "Plus, Stephen _is_ a little distracting."

Rocky blushed, but she tried to hide it. She thought of changing the subject but after a while, deemed her silence sufficient for the conversation—mostly because she did not want anyone hearing them to get involved and blow everything out of proportion.

Namely, Gunther and Tinka.

The soft and calculated clacking of heels against the polished stage put everyone in the circle into an attentive mode. With cellphones hidden and conversations stopped, all eyes were on the dark haired directress towering over them. "Well. Now that that drama is settled, we shall move on to our agenda of the day," Kathy said, watching her cast with a renewed verve. She swiveled around and headed for the tall chair sitting at the corner of the stage, meanwhile commenting, "Miss Blue. So glad to see you with us today."

Even the mild screeching from the legs of the chair being dragged across the stage did not take away from the glances shot towards Rocky. "Sorry, Miss Perry," she managed to utter. "I had to wait for Ms. Locke to get extra credit paper—"

"Your affairs are none of my concern, Miss Blue," Kathy sternly but mildly dismissed her. "It was just a comment; nothing more. And you don't have to apologize. You're not very late. Just make sure you come earlier next time." A smirk then crept across her face while she examined the stack of papers in her hand. "Don't you know, Miss Blue? The stars of the show always get _haters_. Don't give them any ammo."

The comment elicited giggles from the other teenagers, save for the twins and Stephen.

Nonetheless, this unspoken understanding of the crowd that she could not comprehend made Rocky a little bit more uneasy.

"Enough about that," Kathy chimed with a dim smile. "Let's talk about what we all came here for—the play. High School Musical is about…what?" Some hands shoot up in the air. "Mr. Sawyer."

"Nerdy chick falling in love with a baller after they sang karaoke?"

"You sound uncertain, Mr. Sawyer."

Jordan shrugged. "Haven't really seen the entire movie to be honest with you, Miss Perry," he said.

Kathy chuckled, and for a moment Jordan looked nervous. "Anybody else want to try?" she challenged.

Lesser hands rose.

Kathy nodded at Cassandra. "Miss Poe."

"Breaking stereotypes and factions," Cassandra answered scholarly.

"Getting warmer," Kathy acknowledged, "but not hot on the spot. Alright. Let's go through everyone, one by one. Tell me what you think High School Musical is about. Mr. Sawyer, Ms. Poe—you're both out."

The circle laughed, even those at whose expenses it was from.

"Mr. Croft. You begin," Kathy commenced.

"High School," Stephen yawned.

"Love?" Jordan bit her lip.

"Fame," Tyler nodded.

"Not quite, Mr. Reese," Kathy said to him. "Keep it coming. Next."

"Friendship? I don't know," Juliette said.

"Music."

"The glitters," Tinka mused while she marveled at the new purse she purchased to dress her role.

"Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez," Rocky spouted what came up in her mind.

"Wait," Kathy held her hand up. "Mr. Hessenheffer. Repeat what you said."

"Music…?"

"With more conviction, Mr. Hessenheffer. You might just be right."

"Music."

Kathy snapped her fingers. "Music, everybody," she said. "The story may be a little less impressing, some lyrics borderline common, but it is music that captures everybody's ears and attention."

Gunther gave his sister an excited grin, which Tinka returned.

At one point, Rocky imagined that his eyes met hers, too, in the quickest of seconds, before he turned his attention back to the directress.

Kathy started to hand out the sheets she had in her hand to each of them. "How many times have you had to stop while walking in the mall when you heard _Breaking Free_ playing? What about _Get Your Head In The Game_? How many times had that made you want to dribble a ball?" She stopped in front of the twins with a smirk. "Had to snap when you listen to _What I've Been Looking For_?" she asked, which was completely lost on the two people estranged from the said story. Kathy continued down until she finished distributing the papers. Then, she sat back on her seat. "If you have never favored this musical's songs, do beware: your head will be swimming with them for the next three months. We're projected to go live in the middle of January which, if you're a theater veteran like Mr. Croft and Ms. Estrangelo, is unusually longer than the usual practice time. The school decided to give everybody enough time, seeing other students have other extracurricular activities that can hinder their participation academically, most of all, and in the play. As far as I know, this cast is made up of athletes, academic society members, and TV stars, yeah?"

All exchanged quick looks and chuckles, but Rocky's attention was on Stephen. He was smiling a rather amiable smile. Yet, how he isolated himself from the others with his lackadaisical attitude sat ill with her.

_Maybe he had a bad day_, Rocky reasoned.

"Rehearsals are after school, Monday through Wednesday, until 7:30—maybe earlier if things go smoothly. You have to come in Saturdays as well, from 3 to 7:15. Last three weeks before we're on, we will be here every day, except for Thursdays and Sundays. Am I understood?"

"Yes," Rocky mumbled in agreement with the group.

"Good. Today, we will be rehearsing in the form of a table read," Kathy said. "But, since we do not have any table, we will just stay in this circle and read the scripts in our seat. We will do this every Monday, only for the first two months. We'll pick up a handful of scenes, which we will rehearse with acting and the songs the following days. That should help you keep in mind your lines, and you'll have a mental cue on what to do."

The directress opened up her copy of the script, inspiring others to do the same. Rocky unraveled hers with the same eagerness as the three people on her left. Stephen, she managed to glean from a peek, appeared relieved and impatient to see that they get started.

A soft wrinkle formed within Rocky's features. Deny as she may want, but there was something off about Stephen.

* * *

_**to be continued. . .**_


End file.
